1 Iraq bombings: Three separate bomb attacks against Shiite mosques in a volatile northern Iraqi city killed eight civilians on Friday and injured 70 others, police said. Kirkuk, 180 miles north of Baghdad, is home to a combustible mix of Kurds, Sunni Arabs and Turkomen who all claim rights to the city and the oil-rich lands around it.

2 Blasphemy case: In a rare move, a Pakistani judge granted bail Friday to a young, mentally challenged Christian girl accused of insulting Islam by burning pages of the religion's holy book. Activists who had pressed for the girl's release welcomed the rare decision to grant bail in a blasphemy case. The girl's plight has drawn new attention to Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws, which critics claim are used to persecute minorities and settle personal vendettas.

3 No extradition: Bolivian President Evo Morales says he has received word that Washington will not extradite ex-President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, wanted by Bolivia's Supreme Court in connection with the deaths of 63 protesters in his home country in 2003. Morales denounced the ruling Friday, saying the United States is becoming a "refuge for criminals."

4 Breaking relations: Canada shut its embassy in Tehran on Friday, severed diplomatic relations and ordered Iranian diplomats to leave, accusing the Islamic republic of being the most significant threat to world peace. The surprise action reinforces the Conservative government's close ties with Tehran's arch foe, Israel.

5 Bahrain protest: Riot police in Bahrain fired tear gas during street clashes with protesters in the heart of the Persian Gulf kingdom's capital Manama. The demonstrations by Shiite-led groups Friday are part of attempts to challenge authorities by reviving opposition marches in the strategic nation, which is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. More than 50 people have been killed in 19 months of unrest. Majority Shiites seek a greater political voice in the Sunni-ruled nation.

6 Intelligence sharing ends: The U.S. State Department has suspended sharing of radar intelligence with Honduras after the Central American nation's air force shot down two suspected drug planes in violation of U.S. agreements, the department confirmed Friday. The decision came after two separate incidents in July, when civilian aircraft were shot down off the coast of northern Honduras, said William Ostick, Western Hemispheric Affairs Office spokesman. The U.S. bilateral agreement with Honduras for information sharing exclusively prohibits shooting down civilian aircraft.

7 Prince Harry: Britain's Ministry of Defense says Prince Harry has returned to Afghanistan to fly Apache attack helicopters during a four-month tour of combat duty. The 27-year-old, who is third in line to the British throne, joined his 100-strong unit - the 662 Squadron, 3 Regiment Army Air Corps.

8 Vanishing coral: The International Union for Conservation of Nature says the Caribbean's reefs are in sharp decline, with live coral coverage down to an average of just 8 percent. That's down from 50 percent in the 1970s. The nongovernmental organization released a report Friday at an international environmental conference in Korea. The causes include overfishing, pollution, disease and bleaching caused by rising global temperatures. The union concludes that "time is running out."